O3-8 A ban on smartphone usage during recess in increased 10-14 year old children's physical activity; a Danish school intervention study

Abstract Background School recess provides a unique opportunity for children to be active. However, many children perceive smartphones as a key barrier for engaging in physical activity during recess. The aim was to investigate if a ban on smartphone usage during recess changed children's physical activity. Methods During August-October 2020, children from grades 4-7 (10-14 yrs.) at six Danish schools were banned from using their smartphones during recess for a four-weeks period. Questionnaire and systematic observation (SOPLAY) data were collected from 814 children before intervention (baseline) and 828 during the last week of intervention (follow-up). Results The mean frequency of physical activity significantly increased from baseline to follow-up (odds ratio = 1.370), as did physical activity on a moderate level (odds ratio = 1.387). Vigorous physical activity significantly decreased (odds ratio = 0.851). The increase in physical activity was found among both schools having outdoor and indoor recess, among both boys and girls and nearly equally among grades 4-7. Notably, we observed a much greater decrease in sedentary behavior and a slightly larger increase in moderate physical activity for girls than for boys and particularly boys decreased in vigorous physical activity. They might have changed their physical activity behavior in follow-up because more girls participated in physical activities, resulting in more children in the same space. Conclusion This suggests that implementing a ban on smartphone usage during recess would, in line with the HEPA strategy, improve the everyday conditions for health among a broad range of children. To our knowledge, this is the first intervention study investigating if a ban on smartphone usage during recess changed schoolchildren's physical activity behavior. Thus, this study fills an important gap for researchers, school boards, teachers, health professionals, and politicians on how schoolchildren's physical activity during recess can be positively changed by policy.


Background
Physical fitness outcomes are considered major health biomarkers to assess and monitor exercise-based interventions across the lifespan. Recent studies provide evidence that many adult and childhood chronic diseases should have their origins in gestational or fetal life. To date, a few pioneering studies have showed associations between prenatal predictors and selected physical fitness tests (strength and cardiorespiratory). Nevertheless, there is a lack of knowledge about the influence of prenatal factors on childhood performance on a comprehensive fitness test battery including speed and coordination. The innovative purpose of the current study is to analyse the relative weight of prenatal predictors on schoolchildren's physical fitness outcomes.

Methods
We obtain data from1188 children (571 girls) aged 6-11 years and 1020 adolescents (495 girls) aged 12-17 years. Prenatal predictors (gestational anemia, gestational diabetes and length of gestation) were self-reported from offspring's mothers. The ALPHA fitness test battery for youth was used to assess offsprinǵs physical fitness (muscular strength, motor fitness and cardiorespiratory fitness). Regression analysis were performed to predict the different physical fitness outcomes.

Results
The main findings of the present study indicate that the presence of gestational anemia significantly predicted lower scores of lower-body explosive muscular strength (standing long jump) and motor fitness (4x10-m shuttle run) and predicted moderately lower scores of upper-body isometric muscular strength (handgrip strength test). (p>.005; p>.008; p>.075 respectively). Moreover, gestational anemia better predicted lower scores of muscular strength and motor fitness in children than in adolescents (standing long jump, handgrip strength test, 4x10-m shuttle run) (p>.001; p>.051; p > 0.18, respectively). While gestational age and length of gestation (>34-?42 weeks) predict better cardiorespiratory fitness (20 m shuttle-run test) (p>.023; p>.023 respectively) and motor fitness (4x10 m shuttle; moderately for length of gestation). (p>.020; p > 0.55 respectively).

Conclusion
This evidence suggests that preventive strategies by health-care institutions, policy makers and technicians must be two-fold: a) to effectively reduce gestational anemia in order to prevent offsprinǵs predisposition to low levels of physical fitness, and b) to intervene with toddlers and children at risk to provide tailored physical activity programs and regular physical fitness evaluation.
Abstract citation ID: ckac094.024 O3-8 A ban on smartphone usage during recess in increased 10-14 year old children's physical activity; a Danish school intervention study Background School recess provides a unique opportunity for children to be active. However, many children perceive smartphones as a key barrier for engaging in physical activity during recess. The aim was to investigate if a ban on smartphone usage during recess changed children's physical activity. Methods During August-October 2020, children from grades 4-7 (10-14 yrs.) at six Danish schools were banned from using their smartphones during recess for a four-weeks period. Questionnaire and systematic observation (SOPLAY) data were collected from 814 children before intervention (baseline) and 828 during the last week of intervention (follow-up).

Results
The mean frequency of physical activity significantly increased from baseline to follow-up (odds ratio = 1.370), as did physical activity on a moderate level (odds ratio = 1.387). Vigorous physical activity significantly decreased (odds ratio = 0.851). The increase in physical activity was found among both schools having outdoor and indoor recess, among both boys and girls and nearly equally among grades 4-7. Notably, we observed a much greater decrease in sedentary behavior and a slightly larger increase in moderate physical activity for girls than for boys and particularly boys decreased in vigorous physical activity. They might have changed their physical activity behavior in follow-up because more girls participated in physical activities, resulting in more children in the same space.

Conclusion
This suggests that implementing a ban on smartphone usage during recess would, in line with the HEPA strategy, improve the everyday conditions for health among a broad range of children. To our knowledge, this is the first intervention study investigating if a ban on smartphone usage during recess changed schoolchildren's physical activity behavior. Thus, this study fills an important gap for researchers, school boards, teachers, health professionals, and politicians on how schoolchildren's physical activity during recess can be positively changed by policy. Keywords: mobile phone, intervention study, physical activity, policy, child health, SOPLAY, questionnaire

Background
Published in 2018, the World Health Organisation's Global Action Plan for Physical Activity (GAPPA) sets out 20 actions across 4 objectives (Active Societies, Active Environments, Active People, Active Systems) to reduce global inactivity by 15% by 2030. GAPPA takes a whole-systems approach (WSA), calling for cross-sectoral collaboration to address physical inactivity levels. This study sought to explore implementation to date, highlighting progress made and areas that require further focus.

Methods
A desk-based scoping study, using a systematic, but flexible approach, identified sites and personnel implementing GAPPA or a WSA. Methods of collection included a review of existing literature, snowball sampling of key individuals and internet ii40 European Journal of Public Health, Volume 32 Supplement 2, 2022